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China to assist SA to address ‘skills mismatch’

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 17 Sep 2024
Higher education and training minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane. (Image source: DHET)
Higher education and training minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane. (Image source: DHET)

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) will send 100+ local students to China to advance their skills.

This is according to DHET minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, revealing the students will head to China in the coming year to study the scarce and critical skills of the future.

The announcement was made by Nkabane during a DHET media briefing held to provide an update on the 2025 National Student Financial Aid Scheme online application process.

It follows the minister’s return from China, as part of president Cyril Ramaphosa’s delegation to the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, held in Beijing, China.

Nkabane noted South Africa has a long-standing collaboration with the People’s Republic of China in various areas of higher education and training, which continues to grow and support SA’s knowledge and skills development.

“Our engagement during this visit aligns with South Africa’s strategic goals regarding technological advancement and international collaboration in education,” Nkabane said.

This isn’t the first time China and SA have made commitments to strengthen digital development and advance skills.

The Department of Science and Innovation has a partnership with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology to establish an exchange programme, with the aim of giving young researchers an opportunity to share knowledge and develop skills.

Last year, SA and China agreed to deepen their bilateral cooperation in areas such as education and training, and digital technologies.

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